Firedoor operating mechanism



April 25, 1939- c. R DAVISON 2,155,585

FIREDOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed 001;. 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7' val/111111 I 51 I 14 13 5 v INVENTOR. 3g Char/es R. Dauz'son BY Z z flfiw ATTORN E Y5 A ril 25, 1939.

c. R. DAVISON 2,155,585

FIREDOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 6, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR.

Charles R. Dauz'son BY QZVMM AMY I ATTO RNEYS Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE 2,155,535 FmEnooR OPERATING MECHANISM Charles R. Davi son, Erie, Pa, assignor to The Standard Stoker Company,

Incorporated, a

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a firedoor for a furnace and more particularly to power actuated mechanism for opening and closing such door.

An object of the invention is to provide an appliance for actuating a firedoor by fluid pressure, that is simple and compact in construction, efficient and reliable in operation and readily applied to a furnace.

A further object of the invention is to provide a firedoor and operating mechanism therefor, particularly designed for use in connection with a firebox provided with a firing opening, wherein a stoker conduit communicates with the lower portion of the firing opening and the firedoor 16 forms a closure for the upper portion of the firing opening. t

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means in a fluid pressure actuated firedoor which decelerates the downward or closing movement of the door and functions to raise the door with little effort.

These and other objects of this invention are described in the rollowing specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings v Fig. 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the rearward portion of a locomotive and its boiler showing the invention, in similar section, and applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of the locomotive boiler showing the invention applied thereto, with parts in section; v

Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the rearward portion of thelocomotive and its boiler showing the invention in elevation and applied thereto, parts thereof being broken away and shown in section; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line '44 of Fig. 2. I

The invention is shown by the drawings as ap plied to a locomotive A having the usual firebox it and the boiler backwall ll in which is provided the firing opening [2. The locomotive cab deck I3 extends rearwardly from the boiler back 5 wall H at a level below the firing opening 12.

A stoker is indicated generally at B and comprises a riser conduit l4 having a laterally flaring discharge mouth l5 communicating with the lower portion of the firing opening 12. The riser 5 conduit M is securely attached at its discharge mouth 5 to the backwall ll through angle bars 16. The floor portion ll of the conduit discharge mouth i5 is preferably made detachable and is provided at its forward end in the firing opening with a pressure fluid distributor head I8. A distributing plate I 9 is in detachable engagement with the distributor head l8. Fuel is elevated through the riser conduit by a screw conveyor 28 and is forced over the distributor head i8 onto the distributing plate 19 from which it is projected 55 in aerial paths over the fire in the firebox by blasts of fluid under pressure emitted from the jet openings 2| in the front face of the distributor head l8.

Bounding the upper portion of the firing open- $10 ing l2 and secured rigidly to the backwall H is a frame 22. Upright plate members 23 are secured to the sides of the frame 22 forming guideways receiving the sides of a door 25 provid ing for upward and downward sliding movement '15 of the door 25 to uncover and cover the upper portion of the firing opening 12.

The door 25 is power operated and for this purpose a motor cylinder 25, housing a piston 2?, is attached at one side of the firing opening to 20 one of the angle bars it through a bracket 23. The door 25 has a short link 29 pivotally suspended from a stud 3t projecting from the outer side thereof, and the free end of the link 29 is pivoted to the arm SI of a lever 32 fulcrurned 35 to a stud 33 on the frame 22 at the upper end of and at one side of the firing opening. The arm 34 of the eve 32 is pivotally connected interme diate the fulcrum and its free end to the-stem 35 0f the iston 2'! by a short link 35; With this 30 I arrangement it will be evident that when the pis ton 21 is forced down, the door 25 is raised to expose the upper portion of the firing opening; and, when the piston 27 is forced up, the door 25 is lowered to form a closure for the upper 36 portion of the firing opening.

The piston 21 is actuated by fluid under pressure, preferably air, and the direction of travel of the piston 21 is controlled by a valve 3'! operated b-ya foot pedal 38. From a suitable source 40 of supply air flows through a pipe 39 and is admitted to the upper end of the piston 21 through the port '40 in the cylinder 25. At the same time air fiows from the pipe 39 through a short pipe '4'! into the valve 31 forcing the vaive member 45 against the valve seat 43, thereby permitting air to now through the valve 31 into pipe t l and thence to the under side of the piston 21 through the port 45 in the cylinder 26.

Since the eiiective area at the lower end of the piston 27 is greater than at the upper end thereof, the piston 21 will be maintained in its raised position as shown in Fig. 2, and'as a consequence the door 25 will be retained in its lowered posinon. a u

Now, if it is desired to raise the door 25, the foot pedal 38 is depressed thus raising the valve member 42 from the valve seat 43 and closing the inlet port 46. This permits air in the cylinder 26 beneath the piston 21 to exhaust through port 45 into pipe 44 and then through the valve 31 and to atmosphere through the port 41. At the same time air passes through the pipe 39 to the top of the piston 21 forcing it down and with the aid of the counterweight 48 raising the firedoor 25.

The counterweight 48 is pivotally suspended from the free end of lever arm 34 by a link 49. The counterweight 43 is free to move up and down in a sleeve 50 that is pivotally mounted at its lower end for swinging movement about a longitudinally extending pin carried in a bracket 52 rigidly secured to the cab deck I3. The pivotal movement of the sleeve 50 prevents the counterweight 48 from binding in the sleeve, since the counterweight in being raised and lowered also has a slight lateral movement due to the fact that the arm 34, from which the counterweight is suspended, moves in an arc with the stud 33 as a center. A vent 53 is provided in the sleeve 50 adjacent its lower end to permit ingress and egress of air as the counterweight 48 moves upwardly and downwardly in the sleve 50. A handle 54 on the free end of the arm (H of lever 32 is provided for manual manipulation of the firedoor 25.

A cushioning arrangement is provided for the piston 21 at the end of each downward and upward stroke. At the beginning of the descent of the piston 21, air will exhaust through ports 45 and 55, causing the piston to descend rapidly. As the piston 21 descends it blanks off the port 55 and air will exhaust solely through port 45, thereby causing the piston 21 to travel more slowly at the end of its downward stroke. At the beginning of the ascent of the piston 21, air will exhaust through ports 4! and 56, causing the piston 21 to ascend rapidly. As the piston 21 ascends it blanks off the port 56 and air will exhaust solely through the port 40, thereby causing the piston to travel more slowly at the end of its upward stroke.

I claim:

1. In a furnace having an upright wall with a firing opening therein and a frame for said opening, the combination of a door mounted for vertical sliding movement on said frame, a lever pivotally connected to said door and extending therefrom in a direction transverse with respect to the direction of travel of said door, said lever being fulcrumed intermediate its ends, a counterweight suspended from the end of said lever opposite that end connected to the door, an upright sleeve mounted at its lower end on a support, said sleeve receiving said counterweight, and power actuated means operatively connected to said lever for swinging said lever about its fulcrum to raise and lower said door.

2. In a furnace having an upright wall with a firing opening therein and a frame for said opening, the combination of a door mounted for vertical sliding movement on said frame, a lever pivotally connected to said door and extending therefrom in a direction transverse with respect to the direction of travel of said door, said lever being fulcrumed intermediate its ends, a counterweight pivotally suspended from the end of said lever opposite that end connected to the door, an upright sleeve pivotally mounted at its lower end on a support, said sleeve receiving said counterweight, and power actuated means operatively connected to said lever for swinging said lever about its fulcrum to raise and lower said door.

3. In a furnace having an upright wall with a firing opening therein and a frame for said opening, the combination of a door mounted for vertical sliding movement on said frame, a lever pivotally connected to said door and extending therefrom in a direction transverse with respect to the direction of travel of said door, said lever being fulcrumed intermediate its ends, a counterweight pivotally suspended from the end of said lever opposite that end connected to the door, an upright sleeve pivotally mounted at its lower end on a support, said sleeve receiving said counterweight, and power actuated means operatively connected to said lever between its fulcrum and its end remote from the door for swinging said lever about its fulcrum to raise and lower said door.

4. In a furnace having an upright wall with a firing opening therein and a frame for said opening, the combination of a door mounted for vertical sliding movement on said frame, a lever pivotally connected to said door and extending therefrom in a direction transverse with respect .to the direction of travel of said door, said lever being fulcrumed intermediate its ends, an upright sleeve pivotally mounted at its lower end on a support, a counterweight in said sleeve slidable axially thereof, a link pivotally connected at one end to the end of said lever remote from said door and pivotally connected at its other end to said counterweight, and power actuated means operatively connected to said lever for swinging said lever about its fulcrum to raise and lower said door.

5. In a locomotive having a cab deck and a firebox provided with a backwall having a firing opening therein, the combination of a st-oker fuel conduit communicating with the lower portion of said firing opening, a vertically sliding door for closing and exposing the upper portion of said firing opening, a lever pivotally connected to said door and extending therefrom in a direction transverse with respect to the direction of travel of said door, said lever being fulcrumed intermediate its ends, a counterweight suspended from the end of said lever opposite that end connected to the door, an upright sleeve mounted at its lower end on said cab deck, said sleeve receiving said counterweight, and power actuated means operatively connected to said lever for swinging said lever about its fulcrum to raise and lower said door.

6. In a locomotive having a cab deck and a firebox provided with a backwall having a firing opening therein, the combination of a stoker fuel conduit communicating with the lower portion of said firing opening, a vertically sliding door for closing and exposing the upper portion of said firing opening, a lever pivotally connected to said door and extending therefrom in a direction transverse with respect to the direction of travel of said door, said lever being fulcrumed intermediate its ends, a counterweight pivotally suspended from the end of said lever opposite that end connected to the door, an upright sleeve pivotally mounted at its lower end on said cab deck, said sleeve receiving said counterweight, and power actuated means operatively connected to said lever for swinging said lever about its fulcrum to raise and lower said door.

7. In a furnace having an upright wall with a firing opening therein and a frame for said opening, thecombination of a door mounted for vertical sliding movement on said frame, a lever pivotally connected to said door and extending therefrom in a direction transverse with respect to the direction of travel of said door, said lever being fulcrumed intermediate its ends, a counterweight pivotally suspended from the end of said lever opposite that end connected to the door, means for limiting lateral swinging movement of said pivotally suspended counterweight, and means for swinging said lever about its fulcrum to raise and lower said door.

8. In a locomotive having a cab deck and a firebox provided with a backwall having a firing opening therein, the combination of a stoker fuel conduit communicating with the lower portion of said firing opening, a vertically sliding door for closing and exposing the upper portion of said firing opening, a lever pivotally connected to said door and extending therefrom in a direction transverse with respect to the direction of travel of said door, said lever being fulcrumed intermediate its ends, a counterweight pivotally suspended from the end of said lever opposite that end connected to the door, means supported by the locomotive for limiting lateral swinging movement of said pivotally supported counterweight, and means for swinging said lever about its fulcrum to raise and lower said door.

9. In a furnace having an upright wall with a firing opening therein and a frame for said opening, the combination of a door mounted for vertical sliding movement on said frame, a lever pivotally connected to said door and extending therefrom in a direction transverse with respect to the direction of travel of said door, said lever being fulcrumed intermediate its ends, a counterweight suspended from the end of said lever opposite that end connected to the door, an upright sleeve mounted at its lower end on a support, said sleeve receiving said counterweight, and means for swinging said lever about its fulcrum to raise and lower said door.

CHARLES R. DAVISON. 

